Read on for inspiration if you're buying for quilters, dressmakers, hand-stitchers, young creatives, beginners and more ... or even if you're chosing a gift for yourself!
Don't forget there's plenty more in our Exeter shop which isn't (yet) listed on our website, so come in for a browse and you may find more lovely things to buy...
Sewers and crafters young and old will love our new range of Moomin scisors, available in several designs, and featuring Fiskars' ergonomic design and high quality finish. There's even a left-handed pair for children, designed for small hands and with safety features.
A gift that keeps on giving...
Is there someone in your family who simply loves sewing ? Or maybe you have a creative relative or friend who would relish the opportunities that a sewing machine can bring? A new sewing, embroidery or overlocking machine could be the ideal gift (and next Christmas you might receive a beautiful gift made by them!)
See our Special Offers page for a great buy! Brother and Janome have several machines on special promotions until the end of December. Some are reduced in price, some come with extra software and/or accessories included, and some have both! Baby Lock and Bernina also have regular offers and Bernina's Accessory Of The Month is available at a 15% discount too! Of particular note is Brother's Innov-is NV15 which has a new lower price of £299. One of our best-selling sewing machines, this is the perfect choice if you're looking to buy someone their first sewing machine, or an easy-to-use upgrade from a very limited basic model. Janome has an attractive offer with their 8004D overlocker which can be yours for just £229, and if you buy this overlocker at the same time as their 740DC sewing machine (£629 when sold alone) you can save over £200, getting both machines for an amazing £648!
Our machine offers are regularly updated, and all the current offers can be seen on our Special Offers page.
We have arranged our sewing machines to show models suitable for the beginner, the enthusiastic improver, and the accomplished sewer. We also have a wide selection of sewing and embroidery machines, and embroidery only machines.
If your lucky recipient already has a sewing machine they may love to receive an overlocker or coverstitch machine, especially if they are interested in making clothing. Of particular note is the new baby lock Aspire, a compact all-rounder which effortlessly masters the entire repertoire of overlock, cover stitch and combined stitches.
A Brother connected craft printer or ScanNCut machine can bring new opportunities to the creative person in your life. Create bespoke fabric at home with Brother’s PrintModa Studio desktop fabric printer. The ScanNCut SDX2250D is the world’s ONLY standalone hobby scanning and cutting machine that’s been enchanted with Disney magic. The Brother Sublimation Printer puts the power of connected customisation in your hands. Unleash your inner artist across a range of gifts, homewares, clothing and more.
Contact the shop for help in selecting the ideal machine for your lucky recipient - we are always happy to help you choose the right machine, to suit your budget and your recipient's creative experience and ambitions.
Gifts for quilters
Experienced or aspiring quilters alike will be thrilled to receive a thread collection from Aurifil or Gütermann, available in a wide range of colour palettes. Or perhaps you could choose individual spools to create your own customised selection of their favourite colours (Aurifil 50wt cotton is a good choice for machine quilting). If you know your gift recipient would prefer to choose their own threads for specific projects, the Aurifil Swatch Book would be a thoughtful and useful gift. If they like to hand quilt, Aurifil 12wt and new 8wt heavier cottons, available by the spool or in special thread sets, are perfectly suited to this and can be used to create stunning effects.
Ironing is an integral part of the quilting process, and a limited edition mini iron designed by Kaffe Fassett could bring Kaffe's bold and artistic flair to this essential quilting task, with a 2 inch detailer tip for working on those intricate quilt pieces, and a specialy designed metal tin for storage.
Know a left-handed quilter? We have some left handed rulers, made so they will no longer have to deal with numbers which are upside down and reversed, plus left-handed scissors to make quilting easier and safer.
A pre-cut fabric collection could inspire your recipient's next creation, with a huge range of themes and colours available to chose from. We also have a selection of quilt panels. If you know your recipient's favourite designer, you could buy some fat quarters from their collections. Kaffe Fassett, is always popular, as is William Morris. This year also saw the two come together in an amazing recolouring of Morris & Co designs by Kaffe Fassett . Giucy Giuce and Tula Pink are very popular, but we have many others available. We even have our fabrics arranged into themes, so you could for example choose a selection of fat quarters featuring birds, or cats, or spots, or Japanese themes. Let your imagination go wild and choose a gift to thrill and inspire your recipient!
For a smaller gift, our range of Magic Pins are attractive and very useful. Creative Grids have a huge range of quilting rulers. Quilters may also appreciate fabric clips, a new cutting mat, a rotary cutter, or some quilting gloves.
Gifts for dressmakers
Dressmakers will always be grateful for more thread, whether it be a selection of individual all-purpose spools, or a thread set with a particular theme (for example versatile black and white, or bright neons)
Sewing machine needles are always useful - we have a wide range of needles to suit different purposes and fabrics such as denim or very fine and delicate fabrics.
Ironing is an essential part of dressmaking, and a beautiful and functional iron designed by Kaffe Fassett or Tula Pink would bring the distinctive style and flair of these designers to this task.
For those with an overlocker or coverstitch machine, Woolie lock plain and lamé threads (currently on offer) are designed for use on stretchy fabrics such as those used for sport and leisure wear. Gutermann's Maraflex is an elastic sewing thread which allows you to make elastic seams without an overlocker- with a stretch of up to 80% this thread will let your recipient make comfortable clothing from knits, jersey and elastane fabrics.
A good pair of scissors makes for clean precise cutting of fabrics - take a look at our selection of dressmaking scissors and shears.
We have a selection of useful storage solutions such as thread racks or bobbin boxes, sewing baskets and craft bags.
A set of pretty fabric weights, some tailor's chalk or fabric pencils, or perhaps some pins, can make a useful stocking filler. We also have a selection of dressmaking tools such as bodkins and seam pressers. Many of these smaller items, along with other such as buttons, are not yet listed online, so do come to our Exeter shop for a browse.
Gifts for hand-stitchers
Many of our beautiful thread sets are ideal for hand sewing and embroidery (see the description of each set for details). Or you could make your own unique selection from our range of needlecraft threads. If your recipient likes to hand quilt, Aurifil's heavier 12wt cotton is perfectly suited to this, and their new 8wt thread is designed to bring a distinctive look to hand stitching -as well as individual spools, it is also available in two beautiful curated collections, Indelible and Evolve.
Some new hand sewing needles, a quirky needle minder, some Magic Pins, embroidery or appliqué scissors or a thimble could be useful additions to their supplies.
The keen hand-stitcher may be interested to learn more about the Japanese embroidery technique of Sashiko. Aurifil's 12wt thread is ideal for Sashiko stitching. We have several designs of pre-printed Sashiko squares which would make an ideal small project for the hand-stitcher. We also have a selection of Sashiko templates and needles.
We have a large range of tapestry, embroidery and sewing kits, the perfect gift to occupy a hand-stitcher on long winter evenings.
Young creatives may enjoy one of our children's craft kits - you can choose from a selection of tapestry, diamond painting, sewing, embroidery, and felt kits.
Our new Moomin left-handed scissors for children feature a fun Moomin design, and are designed for small hands with a blunt tip and safety-edged blades.
Perhaps they enjoy decorating their crafty creations with motifs, buttons or sequins and jewels. (Many of these items are in our sale/multibuy offer)
If your young creative is an animal lover, they'll love our fun Floral Pets and cute Hibernation fabrics. Or if they're a Barbie fan, then some pink fabrics might be welcomed!
We even have our fabrics arranged into themes, so you could for example choose a selection of fat quarters featuring unicorns and other fantasy creatures, or hearts and stars or space, rockets and astronomy, or rainbows. Let your imagination go wild and theirs will too!
A Gütermann thread set will give the aspiring sewer a selection of colours for their projects - there are various themes and palettes available. You could even get them a coordinating fabric precut collection to inspire their next project.
Schmetz sewing machine needle Combi Packs allow to new sewer to try out different needles without buying an entire pack of one needle type, and provide amateur sewers with a hassle-free way to put together a basic set of different needles.
We have a wide choice of craft kits suitable for beginners - see the individual descriptions for suitability.
Some scissors, hand sewing needles, a quirky needle minder, pins or a thimble would also be useful items for the new sewer.
A piece of Horn furniture designed for your recipient's specific sewing needs would be an extra special gift. Horn has a range of sewing cabinets, storage units, craft tables and chairs to suit a range of budgets and spaces- from their great value Elements range and new compact folding Compact Hi-Lo Mk2 craft workstation (currently on an introductory offer), through specialist sewing cabinets such as the Quilter's Delight, to the enormous Maxi Hobby Table. Please contact us to discuss your specific requirements but don't delay as the delivery period is approximately 4 weeks.
A Baby Lock Sashiko machine would be a delightful gift to bring new creative possibilities, allowing the recipient to imitate the ancient Japanese handstitching technique to stunning effect.
Might your recipient be excited to explore the wonderful world of quilting on a frame with their existing domestic sewing and quilting machine? The Bernina Hoop Frame (£1795) is a 5-foot frame, with a small footprint designed for minimal space requirements. It is compatible with domestic sewing machines of any brand (a minimum throat space of 10" is optimal, contact us to discuss suitability of an existing sewing machine if unsure). Thanks to the hooping technique, quilt size is never limited, so the quilter can reach the next level of quilting, creating projects of any size from pillowcases to king-size quilts!
People who sew are usually easy to buy for, as they'll always be happy to receive more supplies! Perhaps you can add to their fabric stash with a fabric precut collection, or choose some fabrics with their favourite theme or colour scheme. You could treat them to our exclusive Exeter Sewing Chris's Favourites thread set containing a selection of Aurifil threads curated by our very own Chris. Or perhaps they'd love the new Aurifil Swatch Book to help them choose their own threads.
Bernina machine owners are usually keen to improve their skills, and may appreciate a Bernina Skill Hub voucher. The Hub is an online platform offering on-demand courses to learn more about specific Bernina machines or software, allowing you to make the most of what it can do, and inspiring new creative ideas.
And finally, if your potential recipient prefers to choose their own fabrics or threads, a gift voucher could be the ideal solution, giving them the opportunity to browse in the shop and make their own selections at leisure.
Christmas fabrics, ribbons, sequins and embellishments, plus Christmassy craft kits